Two Minutes With...Stacey Dumas

Thursday

Jun 16, 2011 at 9:16 AM

Stacey Dumas, also known as Bronco, is a Worcester native through and through. She is a Girls Inc. basketball coach, wife, mother of two, Worcester RMV supervisor and co-owner of Central Mass Roller Derby.

Stacey Dumas, also known as Bronco, is a Worcester native through and through. She is a Girls Inc. basketball coach, wife, mother of two, Worcester RMV supervisor and co-owner of Central Mass Roller Derby. This weekend, Dumas will check off her list a major goal - to host a Derby bout closer to her own backyard (in Auburn this month), for the first time in the league's two year history. Both an intra league skater and the coach of CMRD's travel team, The Petticoat Punishers, we asked Dumas to take five from the track to fill us in on Worcester's first flat track roller derby team.

Tell me about your involvement with the Central Mass Roller Derby? Originally my role in CMRD was supposed to be the supportive friend, doing what ever I could for my long time friend Cindy Panagiotes aka Hellen Bed, to make her dream of creating a derby team in Worcester.&nbsp; Well, doing what ever she needed turned into being a co-founder/ co-owner, skater, treasurer and coach. It's like having a second job, but the benefits are a little different than a paycheck.

What first attracted you to the sport? About 6 years ago I went to my first derby game, and fell in love with the sport. I'm a wicked football fan and even though derby and football are so very different, the action, the hitting the athleticism amazed me.

How did your roller derby name come about?&nbsp; My derby name comes from my love for football, since the first time I saw John Elway playing for the Denver Broncos, I became a Broncos fan and never looked back.

Why is this new Auburn location important to CMRD? CMRD belongs here in Worcester, derby belongs here. Worcester has some kick ass teams, such as the WildCats, the Tornadoes and the Sharks. We want to be part of Worcester.&nbsp; We want to bring something amazing to this area, that you can watch as a family, and that everyone will love. Plus, I hear &quot;I would come watch it if it was closer&quot; all the time. Well now it IS closer, this is where CMRD belongs.

What is the most valuable lesson derby can offer a player?&nbsp; Derby teaches you so many lessons, the lesson for most would be YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.&nbsp; We have had so many people come through our &quot;doors&quot;, some couldn't even skate the first day and now they are amazing.

What do you think is the most common misconception about the players and game?&nbsp; I think the biggest misconception about derby is that it's fake. Well I'm here to tell you it's so not.&nbsp; It's not the derby you may have watched on Saturday mornings back in the day.&nbsp; Derby is real, there are rules, strategy and plays just like any other sport, there are rankings, playoffs, yes, even championships. Skaters are athletes, we work hard, we train, we practice. Don't believe me? Come strap on some skates and throw some pads on, and you will be crying before you know it.

I hear you're a coach for Girls, Inc. How has that helped in your role of coach at CMRD? I'm not sure if coaching at Girls Inc. makes me be a better derby coach, or the other way around for that matter. I think that doing both makes be a better coach period. I've taken basketball drills and modified them to derby, and derby drills and modified them to basketball. Coaching is amazing and rewarding for me, whether it's the Petticoat Punishers, women ages 21+ or the MONSTAHS, grades 3-5, I love it.

How has your coaching evolved over time? I think my coaching has evolved as I learn more&nbsp; and more about the game of derby.&nbsp; I went to Nationals ( the super bowl of derby) in December and took a ton of notes, to make CMRD better and to make me better.&nbsp; Last season I was nervous I had no business coaching, I didn't have a clue.&nbsp; This year I'm excited, I can't wait to try new things and come up with new strategies.

What keeps you coming back to the game?&nbsp; I keep coming back to derby for so many reasons but the biggest reason would have to be the skaters. They are amazing, each one of them are so different, the friendship is something I would never trade.&nbsp; In derby you hear skaters say &quot;my derby family&quot; or &quot;derby wife&quot; you become so close it's like having another family, that includes your &quot;real&quot; family. My daughters love and adore the women I skate with, and their interaction with my kids makes my heart melt. &nbsp; Catch Bronco and her team this Saturday, June 18 at 6:15p.m. for a double header at Horgan Arena, 400 Oxford Street North, Auburn. Learn more at centralmassrollerderby.com.

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